The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-14
THE MONON EXPRESS ROBBERY.
New Developments Which Indicate that Ches-
ley Chambers Was Unjustly Convicted.

Louisville tour1er-J Ournai.
The readers of the Courier-Journal are vet
familiar with the facts regarding the robbing of
the messenger of the American Express Com
pany the line of the L., n. A. Il G. railroad
near Bloomington, Ind, on the night of March
81, 1885, the wounding of express messenger
George ". Davis and baggagemaster Peter
Weber; the capture of Chesiey Chambers his
Identification by Weber, and subsequently, his
conviction and sentence TO the penitentiary at
Jeffersonville for term OF two years.
Chambers was received at the prison Feb. +,
1886, and has been employed in the carpenter
shop. During the year he has spent at the in
stItuton never word Of complaint has been
made against his conduct as prisoner nor has
he ever received the slightest sreprimand, living
up to the very letter of the prison rules. He
has ALWAYS stoutly denied his connection in any
way with the robbery.
Within the last few days facts have come out
that give grounds for the belief that Chesley
Chambers is serving a term at the prison for
crime he never committed A reporter met
gentleman from Bloomington in Jeffersonyille
yesterday, and, during the course of the CONVEX
sation, the Chambers case was brought up.
why" said the gentleman, ''the people
around Bloomington do not believe Chambers
guilty Of the robbery. He always looked
upon easy going, harmless sort of fellow,
the mental capacity to set up job to rob & hen
roost, let alone n railroad train. Weber was I'M
doubtedly honest in his Identification of Cham
bers. but the matter had worked SO much on his
mind and he was in such sleepy condition when
the attack on the car was made that he was
liable to identify anyone who came near filing
the BILL"
After the above conversation a visi. was made
to the prison. and facts were ascertained there
that go long way toward establishing the in
nocence of Chambers. On the morning of March
II. 1885, two men made their appearance at the
prison and purchased admission tickets from
Capt. D. NJ. Allen. Before guard was assigned
to show the men through the place. Captain AL
len requested An employe to take look at the
men. as he believed one of them
convict One wore his hat pulled we'll down over
his eyes, and he the suspected. The
employe, when he took a look at the man, recog-
nzed him AIDE Gainey. an ex convict, from
Bloomfield. When Gainey was asked what kind
OF game he was trying to play in asking for ad-
mission to the inside of the prison when he knew
the rules bade admission to exconyicts, he re-
piled that he wanted to see Joe L. White, whose
time would expire two days after. Carney was
told that if he wished to White he would
have to wait until he was outside of the walls.
The man with Carney objected to not being ad
mitted. as he had never been a convict and had
come there for the purpose of seeing the place.
Neither of the two was allowed to GO in. and
nothing more was seen of them til the morning
| of the 18th, when White was released and was
| door. The employe who recognized Gainey told
Captain Howard when the party started away
| of the visit of Gainey to the prison, and re-
marked that job was being set up to raise
stake. The second morning after the robbery
| Gainey was seen at Lyons, small station on
| the l. & V. railroad, about twenty-five miles
| across the country from the scene of the rob-
| berry. At that time he is known to have had
| 81 400 in his possession, which very I'M
| usual sum for him to have. The supposition
| now is that White, who is man of nearly
Chamberss size and description, is the man who
| entered the car, while Gaiuey and the third
| party, whose name was never learned, stayed on
| the outside. White subsequently turned up al
| Terre Haute. but his location it now unknown
| Gainey followed the vocation of thief until
killed by the police at Sedaiia Mo-, while in the
| act OF roohing bank. some few months since
| When Ganey died he left a record behind
| him as a thief that Jack Shepard might have
| been proud of. Born in Bloomfield. Ind, of
| good parents, who were comparatively well off.
| he became thief from the TIME he was old
enough to pick anything up and,carry it away.
| When but seventeen years old he was sent to the
| prison for year for theft in the town where
| he lived, but was pardoned out after serving
| half the time. He was then sent to Ann Arhor,
| Mich. to school, where he remained about a
| year. and returned home, and was soon engaged
in robbing postoffice in a small town near by.
| The police were SO hot on his track that he fed
| to Illinois, and broke into the prison at Joliet
for one year before he could be caught for his
| Indiana crime. When his time expired at Joliet
| he was arrested for the postoffice robbery and
sent to the government prison for another year.
| and while serving that term an Indictment was
found against him at Bloomfield for job done
prior to the postofice business. On this ind:ct
ment he was sent the Jacksonville prison for
two years, from which Place he was released
December l6 1881, and was not seen again until
he made his appearance the morning OF
, March IL, 1885.
Whites record was little better thar
| Gaineys, having paid the Jacksonville prison a
visit three times and he always counted
| one of the shrewdest men confined in the place